Every year HIWC funds a number of eye surgeries for children, whose families are not able to afford an operation themselves. The types of eye diseases we fund are cataract, ptosis (droopy-eye), and strabismus (cross-eye). A description of the diseases is given below.

According to ORBIS, a global development organization aimed at preserving and restoring sight, it will take until 2020 for Vietnam to be able to trace, treat and track all children with eye problems. This includes finding the affected children, treating them and following them after treatment.

In the meantime all possible hands are needed, not only to treat the children but also to perform all activities surrounding the treatment. Children that need operations but do not get treatment will develop more problems, resulting in incurable blindness; therefore it is so important to clear the backlog of operations. This will make it possible for the Vietnamese Institutions to take all responsibility themselves.

The National Fund for Vietnam Children (NFVC) is providing all the statistics for the children in need and will select children out of a total of 3000 that need eye operations. HIWC has worked closely with NFVC for many years. Together we arrange the venue of those very poor children that cannot get the treatment without external support. The children and a family member are brought to Hanoi Eye Hospital in Hai Ba Trung, where they stay for 4-7 days dependent on the child's condition.

It is possible for everyone to help fund an eye surgery (cataract, ptosis, and strabismus) for the Vietnamese children. An operation costs 80 USD, which includes screening and examination, surgery, after care and medicine, transportation support, meal while hospitalized, monitoring and re-examination three months after in province, and a gift bag. After the surgery you will receive a before- and after picture of the child you funded surgery for.